


Record

by SerpentineJ



Series: Fluffy AU Simal Key Word Oneshots [1]
Category: Firefly
Genre: (i'm not sorry), AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Record Shop, F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 02:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2906453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerpentineJ/pseuds/SerpentineJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1.	Record- Mal owns Serenity, the retro record shop in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Persephone City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Record

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: I'm not sorry.

**1\. Record- Mal owns Serenity, the retro record shop in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Persephone City.**

The bell above the door jingles and Zoe walks into Serenity Records, glancing around the store floor at the already-lit displays and the spinning record machine in the corner. It’s Mal’s favorite track, some of Bill Withers’ older stuff, and she rolls her eyes, making her way to the back. 

Wash follows her, having parked and locked up the car. “Hey, is Mal in already?”

“Yeah.” She says, grinning. “It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means.”

Her husband laughs and hefts his laptop bag, kissing her on the corner of her mouth and dropping his stuff at his desk. “Yup. Means Doctor Tam will be by.”

Zoe tosses her knapsack on her chair, taking out a laptop and plugging the charger into the wall. “You know Mal’s been saving that REM record for him? That one that he insisted to that Dutch guy that we were out of?” She snorts. “It’s actually kind of painful, watching them.”

“Yeah. He doesn’t come out and talk to the customers at all, thinks social relations are for Kaylee to deal with, and coops himself up in that office all day,” Wash glances towards the door with the nameplate reading “Founder Malcolm Reynolds”, “and the pretty Doctor walks through the door and suddenly he’s all charm. Well, clumsy charm.” He frowns. “Actually, it’s a miracle if he manages to not offend Simon.” 

His wife grins. “Well, it’s not like Tam’s much better.” She gets up and leans against her husband’s desk. “You know he asked be about Mal’s history? His past and everything. I felt bad for him, so I told him Mal had had boyfriends. Poor kid, dancing with Mal.”

A chime sounds through the shop and the couple looks up to see Kaylee walking through the door, smile bright and cheerful as always. 

“Hey, y’all!” She chirps and takes off her coat, hanging it and plopping down in the chair behind the sales counter. “How’re you?”

Wash says, “We’re great, Kaylee, you?”

“Absolutely shiny.” The brunette girl boots up her computer, humming as she scrolls through the lists of inventory. “We got a new shipment in?”

Zoe gets up. “Yeah, Jayne should be bringing it in in around half an hour.”

“If he hasn’t gotten himself arrested.” Her husband snorts. “Or shot.”

“Someone get shot?” Mal emerges from his office, eyebrows raised. “Please tell me it was Jayne.”

Kaylee gets up and greets their employer, making her way to the filing cabinet so she can retrieve the most recent report of their inventory to post on the employee bulletin. 

“Hey, Cap.” Wash grins. It’s a running joke among the staff at Serenity’ Malcolm Reynolds had taken a piece of junk space and turned it into what was effectively a second home for most of the ‘crew’. “What’s up?”

Zoe smirks at him. “Prepped for the Doc’s visit?”

He scowls. “Shut it, Washburne.” 

~~~~~~

“Hey, Mal!” Zoe shouts from the cargo bay. “Jayne’s here. He’s got the goods.” 

The Captain comes out to help them unload, ignoring their supplier’s groans and complaints, heaving the crates onto the cart and into the store. 

Kaylee starts opening the boxes. “What’ve we got, Jayne?”

“Badger didn’t say.” The man grunts, hefting an antique gramophone. “All he’s tell me was that it was whatever Mal requested.”

Four sets of eyes turn to Reynolds, mostly questioning. He turns red and averts his own to the ground, staring intently at his shoes and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

The brunette girl finishes prying open the first crate, eyes widening when she sees row upon row of-

“Classic rock?” Kaylee takes out a Pink Floyd record. “What the-“

Zoe is staring at Mal, a knowing look on her face.

“I was…” He mutters. “Thinking of expanding that section…”

Wash rolls his eyes.

~~~~~~

Mal has pokes his head out of his office at least ten times in the past few hours, just a glance, panning around the room before retreating again, like a turtle in its shell. Kaylee knocks on his door.

“Kaylee?” He looks up from his monitor. “What can I do you for?”

She shuffles her feet. “You know, Cap, I’ll text you when he comes in.”

Reynolds tries to play dumb. “What? Who?”

The girl in front of him rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “We all know who I’m talking about.”

“I have no idea.”

She sighs. “Just… I’ll tell you. You don’t have to keep poking your heat outta the door. Looks tiring.”

~~~~~~

In the end, Kaylee doesn’t need to alert Mal of Simon’s arrival; Zoe and Wash do it for her in the form of instant messages and emails, filling his tray with “here comes doctor tightpants” and “he looks dapper today” and “aren’t you gonna come out and chat? ;)”.

When he does emerge from his office, smooth jazz still streaming from the record player in the corner of the room, Simon is browsing the newly expanded classic rock section.

“Hello, Doctor.” 

The doctor turns around to face Mal. “Afternoon, Captain.” He’s grinning, which is a good thing, he thinks. “Noticed you upgraded this part of the store.”

“Oh, that wasn’t me.” On the other end of the store, Zoe frowns and Wash puts his head in his hands. “Our supplier had a surplus.”

~~~~~~

At some point Wash, Zoe, Jayne and Kaylee retreat, crowding themselves into Mal’s office, watching the interaction between their captain and the doctor on Zoe’s laptop, which she’s connected to the shop’s security feed. 

Kaylee nearly squeals when Simon puts his hand on Mal’s elbow, laughing at something he’s said.

~~~~~~

Eventually Simon has to go if he wants to get anything to eat, he’s on his lunch break, and Mal is looking nearly forlorn. Wash has been keeping up a running commentary from his seat in Mal’s chair, pointing out all the good and bad points of his clumsy flirting. Zoe looks like she wants to throw something at the wall.

~~~~~~

As the doctor walks out the door, the bell already jingling, Mal abruptly says, “Wait. Er.” He shuffles his feet. Simon pauses, looking back.

“Yeah?”

“D’you wanna… get something to eat? I’ll get you something, it’s the least I can do for taking up your lunch break.”

Cheers sound from the Captain’s office and they both look around, Mal scowling, Simon’s eyebrow raised.

The man at the door turns completely around to face the other. A smile begins to creep slowly up his face, quirking the tips of his pink lips, and he responds happily, “Sure. I’d like that.”

The captain looks like he can’t quite believe his luck.

~~~~~~

Simon is a little late to the beginning of his shift at the hospital and he gets a few knowing looks from his sister and Assistant Head Surgeon River Tam (it’s scary how intuitive she is, she always seems to know everything). 

He finds he doesn’t quite mind that much.

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: Comment? Please? :D


End file.
